Two married former Tustin police officers, Kendal Hurd, 40, and her husband, Kyle Hurd, 38, have been charged with workers' compensation fraud, accused of illicitly collecting $188,471.43 while purportedly disabled. The couple claimed chronic back pain from full-duty attire, a charge contradicted by video surveillance and their own postings showing active vacations while drawing full, tax-free salaries according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
The Hurds were recorded engaging in activities like mountain biking, boating, and scuba diving, clearly inconsistent with their medical testimony. Kendal Hurd, for example, testified she couldn't lift over three pounds unless in physical therapy or stand longer than five minutes without severe pain.
Further investigations exposed the couple's unnecessary medical treatments, as affirmed by their fraudulent claims. Text messages showed Kyle Hurd boasting about receiving unnecessary treatments because he was a "good actor", a clear violation of his police duties.
Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer denounced the Hurds' actions, emphasizing the substantial losses workers' compensation fraud imposes on businesses and government entities. He referred to the Hurds' actions as a "egregious breach of the public's trust by two people who were sworn to uphold our laws."
Both officers face multiple felony charges, always including insurance fraud and perjury. With convictions, they lose pension benefits and any future work as peace officers. Kendal Hurd stands a 11 year maximum state prison sentence, while Kyle Hurd's maximum is nine years and six months in state prison.
